It is my professional opinion that 80% of all classroom issues should and can be dealt with within the classroom and by the classroom teacher, however, I understand there there are and situations that require outside resources such as the principal or guidance, and in these cases the classroom teacher should play an active role with the outside resources in resolving the issue.
The following is an excerpt from my classroom management plan, for the complete plan please see the file attached.
I am a teacher. It is what defines me as being me. I have always known that I would teach. I have always been the teacher in all of my relationships by striving to always help and share my knowledge with my family and friends. The art of teaching is what makes me tick. If I could not teach, I would not be me. I have come to learn throughout my life though that teaching is the hardest position in life as it comes at a cost; a cost I am willing to pay. Teaching is to put others before yourself, and this requires a constant effort. It is a 24/7 job and I dedicate myself to it willingly. In order to be the teacher that I know I am meant to be, I will need to work diligently and constantly to ensure that I am being the best teacher I can be. Being a teacher is to be 100 people at 1 time! A few hats a teacher wears are those of a life long learner, a therapist, an entertainer, a resource, dependable, and the list goes on. Teachers are children's first real introduction to learning and socialization, and therefore, a teacher can truly make or break a student's experience within a school.
Rules and routines within a classroom provide structure for the students and they come to depend upon these in their daily lives as a standard. I take this aspect of a classroom seriously because rules and routines and their implementations can make or break a classroom. I believe that the most effective way for me and my teaching style to implement rules and routines would be to create the classroom rules as a class. I would ask the students for their input on what they think are fair rules for everyone and then I would get them to help in creating the classroom rules chart and we would put it up somewhere in the class that we could all see it. I would also go over each rule that we have collaboratively come up with and discuss what should be an appropriate consequence if one of these are broken by a member of our class. This will ensure that students understand what is expected of them and also what will happen in the incidence of a breach of a classroom rule. In order to get the most out of this activity however, I think I would have to wait about a month into the school year to do this and for it to be effective. I will also ensure that all of the wording in our classroom rules are written in a positive way, eg we will respect each other. Until that point, I would have my own rules and implement them daily and discuss with the students what I expect of them and what consequences will occur if they break a rule. As for routines, the students would always know what is planned each day, week, and month. There will be a chart in my classroom of our daily and weekly schedule, along with the topics, units, assignments, and evaluations present in each month. This allows for students to prepare at their own pace for the learning that will take place. They will also know what to expect each morning before classes begin as there will be centres at each of the tables for them to partake in before the morning bell. They will be asked to pick any station of their choosing and work on it diligently until we begin. The same will be for any indoor recesses or noon hours. I believe this will be an effective way to manage their behaviour during any non instructional times and also provide them with enrichment opportunities.
A major issue in today's classroom is the inclusion of exceptional students. I have extremely strong feelings concerning inclusion and believe that every child, no matter their exceptionality, should be included within the classroom and have the opportunity to learn amongst their peers. If this is to work, I feel that a discussion with the entire class about how every one of us is unique and learns in our own personal and special ways must be done so that they see their exceptional friends and peers as someone with simply different learning styles than themselves.
Also, as apart of a classroom management class, a group of colleagues and I collaborated to provide teachers with a resource for creating caring classrooms. Enjoy checking it out! http://creatingacaringclassroom.tk/
It is my professional opinion that 80% of all classroom issues should and can be dealt with within the classroom and by the classroom teacher, however, I understand there there are and situations that require outside resources such as the principal or guidance, and in these cases the classroom teacher should play an active role with the outside resources in resolving the issue.
The following is an excerpt from my classroom management plan, for the complete plan please see the file attached.
I am a teacher. It is what defines me as being me. I have always known that I would teach. I have always been the teacher in all of my relationships by striving to always help and share my knowledge with my family and friends. The art of teaching is what makes me tick. If I could not teach, I would not be me. I have come to learn throughout my life though that teaching is the hardest position in life as it comes at a cost; a cost I am willing to pay. Teaching is to put others before yourself, and this requires a constant effort. It is a 24/7 job and I dedicate myself to it willingly. In order to be the teacher that I know I am meant to be, I will need to work diligently and constantly to ensure that I am being the best teacher I can be. Being a teacher is to be 100 people at 1 time! A few hats a teacher wears are those of a life long learner, a therapist, an entertainer, a resource, dependable, and the list goes on. Teachers are children's first real introduction to learning and socialization, and therefore, a teacher can truly make or break a student's experience within a school.
Rules and routines within a classroom provide structure for the students and they come to depend upon these in their daily lives as a standard. I take this aspect of a classroom seriously because rules and routines and their implementations can make or break a classroom. I believe that the most effective way for me and my teaching style to implement rules and routines would be to create the classroom rules as a class. I would ask the students for their input on what they think are fair rules for everyone and then I would get them to help in creating the classroom rules chart and we would put it up somewhere in the class that we could all see it. I would also go over each rule that we have collaboratively come up with and discuss what should be an appropriate consequence if one of these are broken by a member of our class. This will ensure that students understand what is expected of them and also what will happen in the incidence of a breach of a classroom rule. In order to get the most out of this activity however, I think I would have to wait about a month into the school year to do this and for it to be effective. I will also ensure that all of the wording in our classroom rules are written in a positive way, eg we will respect each other. Until that point, I would have my own rules and implement them daily and discuss with the students what I expect of them and what consequences will occur if they break a rule. As for routines, the students would always know what is planned each day, week, and month. There will be a chart in my classroom of our daily and weekly schedule, along with the topics, units, assignments, and evaluations present in each month. This allows for students to prepare at their own pace for the learning that will take place. They will also know what to expect each morning before classes begin as there will be centres at each of the tables for them to partake in before the morning bell. They will be asked to pick any station of their choosing and work on it diligently until we begin. The same will be for any indoor recesses or noon hours. I believe this will be an effective way to manage their behaviour during any non instructional times and also provide them with enrichment opportunities.
A major issue in today's classroom is the inclusion of exceptional students. I have extremely strong feelings concerning inclusion and believe that every child, no matter their exceptionality, should be included within the classroom and have the opportunity to learn amongst their peers. If this is to work, I feel that a discussion with the entire class about how every one of us is unique and learns in our own personal and special ways must be done so that they see their exceptional friends and peers as someone with simply different learning styles than themselves.
Also, as apart of a classroom management class, a group of colleagues and I collaborated to provide teachers with a resource for creating caring classrooms. Enjoy checking it out!
http://creatingacaringclassroom.tk/